The social media app and website that restricts messages to 140 characters is getting older. While much has stayed the same, the interactive tool continues to change the way people interact with ideas, events and each other.

Emergency responsesEyewitnesses can post photos and videos, government sources can relay information and people can follow breaking news as it unfolds.

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In 2012 in a two-week period during and immediately as Superstorm Sandy destroyed parts of the U.S., more than 20 million tweets were posted relating to the issue, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in its 2013 National Preparedness Report.

“Amid the power outages after Sandy, millions turned to Twitter to share and receive information about the storm’s impact,” the report said. “The Governors of New York and New Jersey — along with other government agencies, major corporations, nonprofit organizations, and the general public — used Twitter to communicate critical information.”

Viral communicationComplaints, news and fundraising are just some of the things that have benefited from the social media website. Celebrities — or at least their accounts — can have tremendous clout, frequently posting news, engaging fans and raising awareness.

In 2013 pop duo One Direction helped a cancer research nonprofit called Trekstock to raise some $784,000, part of a fundraising campaign. The outreach also featured a prize that involved a trip to London to visit with the musicians.

As part of this viral communication, hashtags have proliferated through the service, allowing people to connect on everything from social movements to sporting events and trending jokes.

Presidential platformTwitter also gave the president of the U.S. another way to talk to the people. As shown in recent months, there’s controversy, emotion and reaction.

Speaking about Twitter on “60 Minutes” in November, Trump said it’s a “modern form of communication.” Like President Barack Obama, Trump uses weekly video messages to emphasize his policies and talk directly with people. But Twitter with Trump has transformed politics and news.

Obama’s staff was involved at times in writing his tweets, but the 44th president took on an active role on the account in June 2011.